Ice rink mould and method of constructing an ice rink utilizing the mould

ABSTRACT

A mould for use in constructing an outdoor natural ice rink suitable for skating is described, and comprises a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells capable of being filled with water when disposed on a ground surface. In one embodiment, the mould comprises an inner wall structure composed of a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells, and an outer wall structure enclosing the inner wall structure to form therewith a watertight container. A method of constructing an ice rink utilizing the mould is also disclosed.

United States Patent 1191 Curfhey Aug. 12, 1975 ICE RINK MOULD AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AN ICE RINK UTILIZING THE MOULD [76] Inventor: Charles P. Curfhey, 1405-40 Driveway N., Ottawa, Canada, K2P 1C9 22 Filed: 061. 3, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 403,082

521 U.S.C1. 62/75; 62/235; 249/127;

51 1m.c1. .1 F25C 3/02 [58] Field of Search 62/235, 66, 75, 356, 72; 1 249/127, 129,134; 272/565 ss, 3

[56] References Cited f UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,740,919 12/1929 Copeman 249/127 UX Schaff 249/127 Vincent 249/127 Primary ExaminrWilliam E. Wayner Attorney, Agent, or FirmBain, Gilfillan & Rhodes [5 7 1 ABSTRACT 7 Claims, 19 Drawing Figures zym PATENTED AUG 1 2197s SHEET \lilllhhifliH ICE RINK MOULD AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AN ICE RINK UTILIZING THE MOULD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an ice rink mould and to a method of constructing an ice rink utilizing the mould. The invention is particularly useful in constructing outdoor natural ice rinks suitable for skating.

A major problem encountered when constructing a natural ice rink is the difficulty in building up, with a minimum number of floodings, a layer of ice having an upper surface suitable for skating. When constructing a rink on frozen ground or on packed snow, many floodings are usually required, often taking several days, as a layer of ice suitable for skating is gradually formed by the build up of successive thin layers. If the layer applied during each flooding is too thick, a phenomenon known as shell ice occurs, which consists of extremely brittle ice that does not retain a smooth upper surface. A thick layer of ice formed by a single flooding also tends to crack more readily than a composite layer that is built up more gradually.

Another problem arises when one attempts to build a rink on uneven ground, such as is often encountered on lawns of private homes. Due to sloping or undulating ground, it is very difficult to build up a skating sur face of any kind at the high-ground end or areas of the rink and, of course, the flow of water to the lowground end or areas of the rink produces a relatively thick layer of water, which results in the shell-ice and cracking problems mentioned above.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART US. Pat. No. 2,996,896, which issued to F.L. Johnson on Aug. 22, I96] introduced the concept of plac ing a thin plastic sheeting inside a wooden framework to form a container to be filled with water to form a layer of ice. The bottom of the plastic sheeting was designed to conform to local irregularities in the ground, with the sides of the plastic sheeting being supported by the wooden framework.

This prior art skating rink was certainly an improvement over attempting to construct a rink by directly flooding over frozen bare ground or packed snow, particularly because water that might otherwise drain away was contained. However, the patented rink did not avoid the difficulty associated with having to make several floodings to avoid the formation of shell-ice or ice that would crack readily. Nor were the problems mentioned above regarding the construction of a rink on uneven ground overcome by this patent. Indeed, the fact that the container prevents water from flowing away, compounds the problem of water flowing from high ground to low ground. Even if a suitable skating surface was successfully achieved according to this patent, a temporary thaw would cause the water to flow to the low-ground end of the rink, forcing one to drain the container completely and to start over again.

Canadian Pat. No. 852,455, which issued to Eric F. Vincent on Sept. 29, 1970, evolved the idea of making a watertight enclosure of two sheets of plastic material having their peripheral edges sealed to one another. The bottom sheet was designed to conform closely to the shape of the ground, while the top sheet was provided with a water inlet. After the mould was filled with water and then frozen, the top sheet was cut off to expose a skatable ice surface. The patent claims among its advantages the provision of means of making a large flat ice surface with only one flooding.

Applicant purchased a mould made according to the Canadian patent, but found that it did not avoid the problems outlined above. shell-ice still formed due to the relatively'thick layer of ice being formed at one time. When the mould was placed on uneven ground and filled with water, the water ran down to the low ground end, filling it with several inches of water, thereby compounding the shell-ice problem. The highground end received no water until the low-ground end was so full that an acceptable layer of ice could not be formed.

Applicant also encountered a serious problem in a situation where the ground was not only uneven, but where it sloped both lengthwise and sideways of the plastic sheeting. As the plastic mould filled with the water, the weight of the water pulling to one side caused the mould to roll sideways on itself resulting in a tangled, unusable, water-filled piece of plastic.

Because the top sheet is cut off to form a skating surface, the patented plastic mould is not reusable for any purpose. One is also left with a large sheet of plastic to dispose of in thespring and the need for a new device for the following winter.

Applicant has discovered that the concept of a container for conserving the water can be utilized, while lessening the problems associated with constructing a rink on uneven ground and producing too thick a layer of ice during flooding.

According to the invention in its broadest sense, a mould for use in constructing an ice rink is provided comprising a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells capable of being filled with water when disposed on a ground surface.

In one embodiment of the invention, the mould comprises an inner wall structure composed of a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells, and an outer wall structure enclosing the inner wall structure to form therewith a watertight container.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mould comprises a bottom surface; an outer wall structure joined to the bottom surface to form therewith a watertight container; and an inner wall structure extending upwardly from the bottom surface to define therewith a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells. It is preferable that the top of the inner wall structure terminate below the top of the outer wall structure, especially if the rink is to be built on uneven ground.

The interior of the container is thus divided into a plurality of discrete compartments or cells each capable of containing only a small fraction of the total volume of water to be placed in the mould during initial flooding. Applicant believes that such smaller volumes of water freeze more rapidly than much larger volumes, and he has found they tend to produce solid ice for their total depth with less chance of forming shell-ice. Because the individual cells can be isolated from each other, the problem of water running from high-ground to low-ground is greatly reduced.

With a single flooding, a basic ice surface can be formed, with only the tops of the walls defining the individual cells being bare and uncovered by ice. These tops can represent only a small fraction of the total top surface of the rink depending on the size of the cells and the thickness of their walls. One or two additional floodings to apply thin layers of water over the tops of the cell walls can produce a skatable ice surface. Maintenance of the rink or further building up of the skating surface can then be achieved by carrying out conventional periodic flooding. If a thaw occurs after the basic ice surface is formed, the ice simply melts and most of the water remains in the cells ready to be frozen again once the weather turns cold enough. If excess water forms at the low-ground end, it can be siphoned out prior to re-freezing.

The shape of the cells could take many forms within the scope of the inventive concept. For example, they can be generally polygonal, e.g., square, rectangular or hexagonal in cross-section, or they can take other shapes, such as hollow hemispheres, pyramids, diamonds or honey combs, for example. It is believed that the smaller the water capacity of each cell, the greater the probability of the water freezing into a solid block of ice with an upper surface free of shell-ice.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of constructing an ice rink is provided comprising the steps of:

a. placing over a ground surface a mould of the kind described above;

b. flooding the interiorof the mould with water to fill the cells substantially to their tops;

0. freezing the water in the cells to form a basic ice surface;

d. flooding the basic ice surface with water; and

e. freezing the water applied in step (d);

f. steps (d) and (e) being carried out successively a sufficient number of times to form a skatable ice surface over the basic ice surface and the tops of the cells. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. I is a perspective view of an ice rink mould according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same embodiment; FIG. 3 is a section taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of a suitable cell structure according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the ice rink mould showing the cell structure of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line IVIV of FIG. 5 showing how the cells are connected to the bottom surface of the mould;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view showing how the cell structure of FIG. 4 is connected to the outer wall structure;

FIG. 8 is a blank suitable for use as the bottom surface and outer wall structure;

FIG. 9 is a view of a corner fragment of an outer wall structure formed from the blank of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged elevation view of an alternative embodiment of ice rink mould employing an outer and inner wall structure integral with the bottom surface;

, FIG. 1 la is an enlarged plan view showing a fragment of a mould having a different cell structure;

FIG. 11b is a section taken along line XIb-Xlb of FIG. 11a;

FIG. 12a is a view similar to FIG. 11a having another cell structure shape;

FIG. 12b is a section taken along line XIIb-Xllb of FIG. 12a;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged plan view showing a fragment of a mould having a diamond shaped cell arrangement;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged plan view showing a fragment of a mould having a honey comb shaped cell arrangement;

FIG. 15a is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the mould placed on uneven ground;

FIG. 15b is a partial view similar to FIG. 15a after an initial flooding of the cells, the view being greatly enlarged to show the effect of flooding; and

FIG. is a view similar to FIG. 15b after a skatable ice surface has been formed.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, an ice rink mould 10 according to one specific embodiment of the invention is shown, and comprises a bottom surface 1 1 preferably formed of material that conforms generally to the surface on which it is to be placed; an outer wall structure 12 joined to the bottom surface 11 to form therewith a water-tight container; and an inner wall structure 13 extending upwardly from the bottom surface 11 to define therewith a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells 14, the tops 15 of the inner wall structure 13 preferably, as shown, terminating below the top 16 of the outer wall structure 12.

The bottom surface 11 can be formed of thin plastic material that will conform generally to frozen ground or a packed snow surface. In practice, 4 to 6 mil sheet polyethylene has ben found to have sufficient strength to resist puncture by projections on the ground or snow, while still being thin enough to conform to the ground. Of course, other suitable materials will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. If a rink is to be built on level ground, then thicker plastic material can be used since conforming to ground irregularities would not be a requirement.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the other wall structure 1 can be made of panels of plastic material sufficiently rigid to enable them to remain upright. These panels can be heat sealed to the bottom surface 1 l and to each other as shown at 19 to form the watertight container.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the inner wall structure 13 can be formed of an integral piece of plastic material to define a grid of approximately square shaped cells 14. The cell structure includes flanges 17 formed on the bottom and flanges 18 formed at the outer edges. These flanges can be heat sealed to the bottom surface 1 1 and to the outer wall structure 12 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a blank 20 for use as a structure for the bottom surface and the outer wallstructure according to another embodiment of the invention. The blank 20 is folded along the dotted lines 21 to 24 with an overlapping heat seal 25 applied to form a bottom surface 26 and an outer wall structure 27, as shown in FIG. 9. The blank can conveniently be made of 4 to 6 mil polyethylene. However, thinner or thicker materials can be used depending on the ground conditions encountered. The inner wall structure can be the kind shown in FIG. 4. Attachment of the cells 14 within the outerwall structure 27 enables the latter to stand upright.

FIGS. 10 to 12 show arrangements where the bottom surface and the outer and inner wall structures are formed of an integral piece of material. The cells 31 of FIG. 10 take the form of interconnected open-top cubes; the outside walls of the perimeter cells serving as an outer wall structure32 and the bottom of the cells. serving as a bottom surface 33.

The cells 34 of FIGS. 11a and 11b take the form of interconnected hollow hemispheres. FIGS. 12a and 1212 show cells taking the form of interconnected pyramids, which illustrate still another possible variation to the inner wall structure.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are further examples of different shapes of cells that can be formed according to this invention.

In constructing a rink according to this invention (FIGS. l5a-15c) a mould as described above is placed over a substantially horizontal surface 28 such as a parcel of frozen ground, or packed snow. The interior of the mould is flooded with water 40 to fill the cells 14 approximately to their tops (FIG. 15b). The water 40 in the cells 14 is frozen to form a basic ice surface 41. Where the ground is particularly uneven, it may be necessary to carry out a second flooding to ensure that the cells 14 are filled substantially to their tops 15.

Once the cells 14 have been filled to their tops 15, only these tops will remain bare, as can readily be seen from considering FIG. 15b, and since these tops 15 comprise only a small fraction of the upper surface of the mould 10, one or two further floodings will produce a skatable ice surface.

A further flooding of water 42 is thus applied over the basic ice surface 41 (FIG. 150) until a continuous layer of water is formed in the mould 10 that completely covers the tops 15 of the cell walls. Finally, the continuous layer of water is frozen to form a skatable ice surface 43. However, it may be necessary to carry out successive steps of flooding and freezing a sufficient number of times to form a skatable ice surface. A final level ice surface 44 can be eventually built up after further periodic floodings.

By the term freezing, applicant means either allowing the water to freeze at a sub-freezing temperature or artificially inducing freezing of the water.

If the surface on which the mould is to be placed is substantially level, the cell structures need not be constructed to prevent flow of water between the cells where the cells meet the bottom surface 11. When uneven ground is encountered, however, such isolation of the cells should be provided. Otherwise, water would flow from the high-ground cells to the low-ground cells creating the problems mentioned above.

For convenience of packing and shipping the mould 10, the outer wall structure 12 could readily be made foldable onto the same plane as the bottom surface 11. One way of accomplishing this in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 would be to join the bottom surface 11 to the wall structure 12 by a thin web of plastic material which would serve as a hinge. In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 the plastic material would be thin enough to wind the blank into a roll.

Since the individual cells are isolated from each other in the embodiments shown herein, it would be necessary to tip the mould over to empty the water in the Spring. However, if the rink is to be used on only very flat ground, small intercommunicating holes can be provided between the cells with a drain plug provided at a convenient location on the bottom surface 11. Of course, the rink mould according to this invention can be stored and used again during succeeding Winters.

With respect to the choice of materials, this will depend very much on the specification of a given ice rink mould. It will also be appreciated, considering the number of embodiments described herein, that many variations can be made to the physical structure of the rink mould, while still utilizing the discrete cell principle of this invention.

The mould according to this invention can be made up of a number of modules that can be placed adjacent each other when a rink of a given size is to be built. Thus, relatively small sub-moulds could be manufactured to facilitate packaging, with assembly carried out at the rink site.

What is claimed is:

l. A plastic mold for use in constructing an outdoor natural ice skating rink on a ground surface, comprising:

a. a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells defining a bottom surface, and an inner wall structure;

b. an outer wall structure enclosing the inner wall structure to form therewith a watertight container;

0. said bottom surface being formed of flexible thin plastic material that conforms generally to the ground surface on which it is to be placed;

(1. said inner wall structure being formed of plastic material having sufficient rigidity to enable said cells to remain upright when filled with water, and having sufficient flexibility to enable said cells to be wound into a roll when the mold is not in use;

. said outer wall structure being formed of plastic material having sufficient rigidity to enable said outer wall structure to stand upright;

. whereby when the interior of the mold is flooded with water to fill said cells to substantially their tops and the water in said cells is frozen, a basic ice surface is formed while reducing the formation of shell ice and the flow of water from high ground to low ground surface levels, leaving only the tops of said inner wall structure bare of ice; and

g. whereby further floodings and freezings of the interior of the mold will produce a skatable ice surface over said cells.

h. said mold being sufficiently large to permit a human being to ice skate thereon.

2. A mold as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner wall structure is formed of 4 to 6 mil sheet polyethylene.

3. A mould as defined in claim 1 wherein the top of the inner wall structure terminates below the top of the outer wall structure.

4. A mould as defined in claim 1, wherein the bottom surface is formed of 4 to 6 mil sheet polyethylene.

5. A mold as defined in claim 1 wherein the inner wall structure is made of plastic material formed integrally with the bottom surface.

6. A method of constructing an ice rink comprising the steps of:

a. placing over aground surface a mould as defined in claim 1;

b. flooding the interior of the mould with water to fill the cells to substantially their tops;

c. freezing the water in the cells to form a basic ice surface;

d. flooding the basic ice surface with water; and

e. freezing the water applied in step (d);

f. steps (d) and (e) being carried out successively a sufficient number of times to form a skatable ice surface over the basic ice surface and the tops of the cells. 7. A method of constructing an ice rink comprising the steps of:

a. placing over a ground surface a mould including a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells capable of being filled with water when disposed on said ground surface;

b. flooding the interior of the mould with water to fill the cells substantially to their tops;

\ c. freezing the water in the cells to form a basic ice UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 339 155 Dated gust 1 1915 Inventor(s) Charles P. Curphey It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The name of the inventor should be changed from "Curfhey" to -Curphey.

. Signed and Scaled this twenty-eight D 3) Of October 1 9 75 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner nj'Patents and Trademarks i g s l 

1. A plastic mold for use in constructing an outdoor natural ice skating rink on a ground surface, comprising: a. a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells defining a bottom surface, and an inner wall structure; b. an outer wall structure enclosing the inner wall structure to form therewith a watertight container; c. said bottom surface being formed of flexible thin plastic material that conforms generally to the ground surface on which it is to be placed; d. said inner wall structure being formed of plastic material having sufficient rigidity to enable said cells to remain upright when filled with water, and having sufficient flexibility to enable said cells to be wound into a roll when the mold is not in use; e. said outer wall structure being formed of plastic material having sufficient rigidity to enable said outer wall structure to stand upright; f. whereby when the interior of the mold is flooded with water to fill said cells to substantially their tops and the water in said cells is frozen, a basic ice surface is formed while reducing the formation of shell ice and the flow of water from high ground to low ground surface levels, leaving only the tops of said inner wall structure bare of ice; and g. whereby further floodings and freezings of the interior of the mold will produce a skatable ice surface over said cells. h. said mold being sufficiently large to permit a human being to ice skate thereon.
 2. A mold as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner wall structure is formed of 4 to 6 mil sheet polyethylene.
 3. A mould as defined in claim 1 wherein the top of the inner wall structure terminates below the top of the outer wall structure.
 4. A mould as defined in claim 1, wherein the bottom surface is formed of 4 to 6 mil sheet polyethylene.
 5. A mold as defined in claim 1 wherein the inner wall structure is made of plastic material formed integrally with the bottom surface.
 6. A method of constructing an ice rink comprising the steps of: a. placing over a ground surface a mould as defined in claim 1; b. flooding the interior of the mould with water to fill the cells to substantially their tops; c. freezing the water in the cells to form a basic ice surface; d. flooding the basic ice surface with water; and e. freezing the water applied in step (d); f. steps (d) and (e) being carried out successively a sufficient number of times to form a skatable ice surface over the basic ice surface and the tops of the cells.
 7. A method of constructing an ice rink comprising the steps of: a. placing over a ground surface a mould including a plurality of juxtaposed discrete cells capable of being filled with water when disposed on said ground surface; b. flooding the interior of the mould with water to fill the cells substantially to their tops; c. freezing the water in the cells to form a basic ice surface; d. flooding the basic ice surface with water; and e. freezing the water applied in step (d); f. steps (d) and (e) being carried out successively a sufficient number of times to form a skatable ice surface over the basic ice surface and the tops of the cells. 